Origin

Like bump (mid 16th century) and thump (mid 16th century), jump was probably formed because it ‘sounded right’, and seemed to express the sound of feet hitting the ground. It was first used around 1500. To jump the gun, or act too soon, comes from the idea of an athlete starting a race a split-second before they hear the starting gun. A jumpsuit was a term first used in the USA in the 1940s for the outfit worn by parachutists when making their jumps. Jumper (mid 19th century) is unrelated. In the 19th century it was a loose outer jacket worn by sailors and is now a woollen jersey in UK English, but a style of dress in the USA. It may come from Scots jupe, ‘a loose jacket or tunic’, which in turn came through French from Arabic jubba.

jump through hoops

If I have to phone a call centre it's because I actually need some help with something, and don't appreciate being made to jump through hoops for several minutes before getting hold of a real, live human being who can assist me.

Unfortunately it is usually women, mainly single parents, who need genuine help and they are expected to jump through hoops to get any help.

He said if extra money was available for council housing, the council shouldn't be made to jump through hoops by the government to get it.

one jump ahead

Smart, self-assured and beautifully made, Ocean's Eleven has enough clever moves and sneaky surprises to stay one jump ahead of the audience and remain highly entertaining until the very last drop.

The argument is harsh but compelling: to kill off the disease the vets need to get one jump ahead of it and that means slaughtering animals which are healthy today but might still be contaminated with the virus.